Artist Statement

I waited to begin college until several of my children had started school, taking a major portion of my classes part-time until the last couple of years. All the while, my husband and I still juggled schedules. I tried a variety of fields that were both interesting and challenging, but was still not sure of the direction to head to base a life long career. So I just kept exploring. adding art classes for my own enjoyments, and that is where I really fit. Being introduced to a whole wonderful, but sometimes unpredictable, world of both traditional and abstract drawing- and sculpting-artists, their styles, techniques, art-forms, and the fascinating stories behind their artwork that influenced their pieces, that too enriched the refinement of my own work as well. Artist such as– Egon Schiele, Claes Oldenburg, Gianlorenzo Bernini, Auguste Rodin, Alberto Giacometti, plus so many, many others.

Many classes and art shows later, I finally received a Bachelor of Visual Arts degree from the University of Northern Colorado, in May of 2003, with emphasis in both Life Drawing, and Sculpting. I also add a sculpting seminar, post grad, through the LovelandArtAcademy in Loveland, CO.

My love of art started when I was very young. I am lucky enough to have a creative mother who is very artistic. Back then though, she had seven highly intuitive children that perpetually seeded her endless array of ideas to enhance any project we started. I loved drawing, particular mimicking her doodled idea here and there. When I started drawing faces though, well before kindergarten, I recognize that my child-like drawings were not turning out looking much like the magazine pictures I had chosen. So, I would follow my mother, and/or older siblings, around for any free second they could spare, to learn a new approach of seeing a particular item of trouble—eyes, nose, mouth, hair… My family was very patient, and helpful.

Once primary school started, even through high school, the aesthetical influences of art I strived so hard towards were the frequently seen, ever traditionally well-studied Masters’, and I really loved them all. But, Norman Rockwall pulled in an emotions aspect on top of great techniques which I related too. Now, I try incorporating emotional and textural connections to my art pieces to add more life, and sometimes humor, to my work. I want my artwork to touch people with more than a single sense, and make it almost irresistible not to touch.

In 2004, my family and I moved outside Dallas, TX. I have since had several showings and won awards for my drawing through the local art societies, and continue to learn from both old Masters’, and current artist.